Anytime
by zantha19
Summary: Timing is everything. Sometimes you have to wait for the right time to say something important which you need to say. Other times timing doesn't matter at all.


The village hidden in the leaves was holding off an attack from an unknown enemy, they had been able to hold them back so far. No enemy had made it into the village. The battle was coming to an end, but not with loses on both sides. The surrounding area was a mess, but the village remained in-tacked.

Sakura finished bandaging Sai's right arm. She hadn't said a single word since she started to treat him. She had been told by Ino that her teammate had made it back to the hospital. Sai's safety was a priority for her, but she had hoped that when she finished healing a jonin with a broken leg, and entered the other treatment room that was becoming more and more crowded, she would she Naruto. For a second disapointment came over her, as worry. Pushing them aside she moved over to her teammate and did her job.

After his defeat of Pain, Naruto was regarded as the strongest ninja in the village, so he along with Kakashi and other highly skilled ninja had been sent out in the first wave of the battle. The 5th was not happy about this, but she couldn't afford to leave Naruto out of the fight. He was best when he was able to rush in, fall fource. Keeping him back would be giving up an advantage that they had.

"Don't worry, it's Naruto" Sai was getting better at dealing with people, and understanding them. He could tell from the monument she walked in that Sakura was worrying about Naruto. His new skill for reading people was now starting to annoy her, as he always did it in the worst way.

Looking up from her work, she gave him a faint smile and nod. It's because it was Naruto that she was worrying so much. After all these years he still rushed into things without thinking, no matter how many times she yelled at him about it. He had no sense of self-preservation. She knew she yelled at him, because he made her worry, that she worried because she cared, but that didn't stop her yelling rather than being more thankful for what he had done. The thought of anything happening to him, was too much for her, so she got angry at him for almost leaving her.

"Thank you" she took his left hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. What he had said hadn't made her feel any better, it was that he was acting more like a person, trying to make her feel better that meant something to her.

A new voice called from the door. "Sakura, we need to sort the people outside, we can only let the badly injured in. We have to treat the injures we can outside" Ino liked it when she got to have to tell Sakura what to do, but she was taking no pleasure in it this time. Her voice was rushed, wanting to move on and get going, be useful.

Sakura nodded and followed her friend. Most people would assume the worst part about being a medic-nin was having to treat your teammates, comrades, friends. It wasn't, then you knew where they were, and you were doing something to help. This was the worst part, having to wait behind, not knowing what was going on. Not knowing what was going on, if they were alive or dead. You felt useless.

"How is Shikimaru." Sakura didn't what to ask, but she had to do something to drown out the noises of yelling, and pain around them, as they walked as quickly as they could without running toward the door of the hospital.

Ino yet a sigh of relief as she answered "He is going to be fine. He is still unconscious, but he's out of danger. Choji is with him now." The blond turned to look at her pink haired friend, giving her a relived smile. Sakura smiled back as best she could. She was pleased her friend was no longer going through the kind of worry she was now, she was just a little jealous.

They were able to drown out the sounds of pain in their head now, another skill of a medic-nin. That was another hard part about being a medic-nin, when the fighting was done, and everyone was already tired, worn out, this was when their job started. Mending and cleaning up the mess that was left.

Once they left the hospital, there was an early calm. They had expected to see a crowd of people wanting to get in to be treated. Sakura had a feeling that something wasn't right, it was too calm. The streets were empty, they should normally be people going back and forth at this time of day. Sakura's heart started to race, all she could think was that she hoped Naruto was ok.

"We must be early" Ino's calm voice did little to calm Sakura's fears.

Sakura's eyes darted from left to right, searching for any sign of people coming towards them. "I'll go right, you go left" Before Ino could say anything, that it was bets to stay here, Sakura had left.

A few feet down the street she had gone down she say people coming towards her. There weren't a lot of them. Her fear was growing more the closer they came, their where only about thirty of them or so. Surely there should be more than that, a lot more.

"Sakura-chan!"

A figure pushed through the crowd and ran towards her. Rock lee so fast toward her, she didn't have a chance to get a single word out. He pulled her into a hug, so tight the breath was knocked out of her.

After a few seconds, when she had her breath back, she found eth courage to ask the question that was no her mind. "Lee, where is everyone else. There should be more than..."

He let out a faint laugh under her breath. "Don't worry, the rest are uninjured. This is only those that are hurt, or are looking for their teammates. We won easily." As he spoke he let her, lifting up his right arm in his nice guy pose.

Sakura let out a breath, that she felt she had been holding all day. She looked at Lee; she had been so focused on her own worries that she hadn't noticed the worry in his face, he had tried to hind. "Tenten is in the hospital. She has a few minor injuries but nothing serious. I don't know about Neji though"

"He is helping Kiba with Hinata, he's fine. They all are."

"Good" her fears where slowly disappearing, she now knew that most of her friends where safe. She even smiled a small real smile. She was glad she had taken the right side, and not the left. For a second she thought about turning back, so she could tell Ino that their friends where ok, but she had to find out where Naruto was first "Where's Naruto, and Kakashi sensei."

She didn't like the look on Lee's face, her heart began to race, so fast it felt like it was going to burst through her chest. Her eyes locked on lee's. Begging him to tell her what was going on.

He looked away from her gazes. "I don't know. They were the first to attack; no one saw them after that."

Her legs wanted to give way under her. The other ninja that had been walking with Lee finally caught up to them, they walked right past them, not looking at the girl how looked like she might fall apart. They had to be ok, this was Naruto and Kakashi she was worrying about, they have both been through worse than this. She was also stronger than this, she was not going to fall apart. Taking a deep breath she forced herself to calm down, concentrate on her job push all other thought from her mind.

She closed her eyes for a seconds as she did this, when she opened them out of the corner of her eye she saw a familiar head of hair. She left Lee, and pushed her way through the group of ninja walking in the opistie direction. When she reached them she through her arms around the neck of the familiar person. She had to stand on her toes to reach around his neck, even then she still didn't reach his fall height.

"Kakashi sensei." This time her smile was not only real, but a little bigger. She wanted to ask him about Naruto, but she couldn't get the words out she was too afraid of what he might say. So she closed her eyes, and held him a little tighter, till she found the courage to ask.

"Sakura." Kakashi whispered into her eyes. He saw something out of the corner of his left eye, He gentle pulled away from Sakura and turned her round, so she could see what he saw.

Standing at the end of the street, with the setting sun behind him, stood a tall strong figure. It took her a second or two to see cleaely with the bright light, when she did Sakura ran toward the sun.

"Naruto" Sakura ran to the village gate, to catch up with the first group of departing ninja.

"Sakura, what are you doing her. You need to be..."

"I know. There is something I need to tell you before you go" She was breathing heavily, not because of having just run all the way from the hospital, but because of what she was about to say.

She had done this once before, how stupid she was then. Now she was doing the smart thing. What she should have done a long time ago. Though there were similarities, this felt so different. She could only take that to mean it was the right thing to do. So she should stop second guessing herself, and just do it, say it.

Her mouth opened, the words on the tough, but she froze. She rushed the only words she could. "Just come back ok." Naruto knew there was more she wanted to say, but he wasn't going to make her say anymore if she didn't want to.

He nodded and smiled. "Don't worry Sakura. I'll be back I promise."

An over whelming sense of déjà vu came over her as she watched Naruto walk out of the gate. The last time she had realised that he was always there for her, that she had misjudged him. Now she realised that she had to be there for him, more than she had been. To do that she had to take this first step.

"Because I don't want to lose you!..." He stopped walking away, like her words had pulled him back. "I love you." she had kept taking as if he hadn't reassured her that he would come back. She watched him slowly turn to face her, her heart bounding and her head racing.

His face was unreadable. Though she was sure there was a look of sadness in his eyes. "Don't say that now, not when everything could be falling apart." As he spoke he slowly walked back towards her.

"Why not. I can't think of a better time to say it." She spoke as she walked to close the gap between them. Her voice coming out more argumentative than she meant it too, though she had the right to be annoyed.

He smiled as he answered her question. "I don't what to have something that important connected with what's going on now." She would have hit him, if he didn't look at her with those big, deep blue eyes. He took hold of her right hand. For a few seconds they stood like that, forgetting the worlds burning around them.

"Naruto, we have to go!" Kiba called to Naruto breaking the silence.

Naruto gave Sakura a warm smile before he ran to catch up with the other. His hand didn't let go of hers till the last moment. She watched him walk away, till she really had to head back.

Naruto smiled brightly at Sakura as she ran to him. His right arm was in a makeshift sling, and he had a few cuts and bruises, but he was back and in one piece. Once she reached him she threw her arms around his neck. Naruto wrapped his left arm around her waist, in doing so he lost his balance. He feel back slightly lifting Sakura of the ground. They tilted to the right, as they came back to the ground.

"Now." Sakura whispered, as she placed her hands on his upper arms.

"Anytime."

"I love you."

"I love you, too." Naruto moved his left arm further up Sakura's back to close the distance between them completely, letting them have their first kiss.


End file.
